joseph



UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

FRED STEFEENS, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAINT JOSEPH RAILWAY, LIGHT, HEAT AND POWER COMPANY, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI, A COR- PORATION OF MISSOURI.

GAR.

Patented An". 26, 1919.

Original application filed March 12, 1917, Serial No. 154,198. Divided and this application filed June 3,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FnEn STEFrENs, a subject of the German Empire, who have declared my intention to become a citizen of the United States, and am a resident of St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in cars.

It relates particularly to motor driven passenger cars, and especially to street cars on which the fares are collected by a conductor.

This application is a'division of an application filed by me March 12, 1917, having Serial Number 154,198.

The object of my invention is to provide .a car which is of neat design, large seating capacity and of light weight, which is adapted for quick and easy loading and unloading of passengers, which is well ventilated, comfortable and easy riding and which is provided with a conductors station so located that the conductor may have a clear view of the entire interior of the car and of the entrance and exit of the passeners.

U My invention provides further a novel arrangement by which each passenger before alighting will efl'ect a registration of his presence on the car.

I The novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing which illus trates the preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car ,provided with my improvements.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the same, partly broken away.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in the different views.

1 designates the car body having a low middle floor portion 2, an elevated front floor. portion 3, and an elevated rear floor portion 4.

The car body 1 is provided near its forward end with two side entrances 5 and 6 separated by a transverse railing 7 and nor mally respectively closed by outwardly open? ing doors 8 and 9 as shown in Fig: 2:

Serial No. 237,846.

The car body is provided near its middle with two side exits 10 and 11, separated by a transverse railing 12 and normally respectively closed by outwardly opening doors 13 and 14, Fig. 2.

Immediately forward of the exit 10 is a transverse railing 15, the inner end of which connects to the rear end of a longitudinal railing 16, which is parallel with and spaced apart from a conductors desk or table 17, with which it forms a passage 18, which connects the rear compartment With the compartment just forward thereof, the railing 15 serving as the dividing line or partition between the two compartments.

A suitable registering means is provided for releasably obstructing the passage 18, preferably one which is operable by the passengers going through the passage, and preferably consisting of a turnstile registering mechanism 19, which may be controlled by the conductor at his station behind the table or desk 17 and which, without being operated, will not permit a passenger to pass from the forward compartment having the entrances 5 and (S to the rear compartment having the exits 10 and 11. Any approved well known type of turnstile registering mechanism may be employed.

In the forward compartment, just referred to, and in alinement with the passage 18, may be a central longitudinal railing 20 which divides the compartment into two longitudinal sub-compartments, which communicate with each other at the ends of the railing 20.

' Forward of the entrance 5 are two seats 21 which divide the compartment containing the railing 20 from a front compartment in which the motorman is located. Between the seats 21 is a passage 22 which may be closed by doors 23.

The different compartments may be provided with seats for the passengers arranged in any desired manner. In the drawing, the compartment containing the railing 20 is provided with two longitudinal seats 23, and 24 which are disposed respectively at opposite sides of the compartment. This, arrangement permits the ready entrance of passengers and a large aisle space and room for standing passengers. The rear compartment' may contain,- as shown; all cross seats.

Passengers after entering the. car through the entrances 5 and 6 may pay their fare to When the car is nearly filled, passengers 7 getting on may enter through the entrance 5, and pass from there throughthe passage 22 to the seats 21, when the doors or gates 23 are open.

The car may thus be quickly filled and V emptied, the collection of .each fare is assured, and the number of fares collected will be correctly, registered.

The position of the conductors station is such that'he can have a. comprehensive view of the entire interior of the car and of the ments of straps to hang to and thus afford a desirable safety feature. V

The doors 8, 9, 13 and 14 will, of course,

' be normally closed. 7 The entrancedoors 8 and 9 may be'operated by the motorman, and the exit doors 13 and 14 by the conductor, any suitable well known mechanism being provided for this purpose. As the doors are closed, when the car is in motion, and as the entrance and exit floor 2 is but an ordinary step above the street level, and no hand holds are provided on the outside of the car, no person can be injured in trying to get on or off the car. Any suitable signaling mechanism, not shown, may be employed to inform the motorman when any of the entrance or exit doors are opened. For the instruction of the passengers,suitable signs, not shown, may be provided des- 'ignating the entrance and exit doors and the route of the car.

The car body 1 is carried on two trucks,

preferably three bearings being provided for supporting the car body, one. located centrally on the front truck 25 and two located at the extreme outer side of the car body on body whichisintermediateof the trucks 2'5' and 26. This relative arrangement of the trucks and theentrances and exits eliminates the requirement of steps outside the car or between the entrances and exits Within the car and permits the entrances and exits'to be at a low elevation, so that the passengers can get on or alight from the car with ease and safety.

I do not limit my invention to the structure shown and described, as modifications,

the rear truck 26. The rear truck is dewithin the scope of the appended claims,

may spirit of my invention.

What I claim is V In a car, a car body having transverse divisional means dividing the body into two compartments respectively provided at one side of the car with an entrance and an exit, said transverse .divisional means including a passage connecting said compartments, a conductors station at the side of the car opposite the side having theentrance and the exit and at a substantial distance from the entrance, and a registering turnstile in the passage between the conductors station and the exit.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRED STEF'FENS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

be made without departing from the l I 

